Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — The latest wave of artificial intelligence (AI) development is raising concerns about the global job market. Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman predicts that the majority of white-collar jobs will be automated within the next 12 to 18 months.
Suleyman stated, according to Futurism, that AI models are now on the verge of achieving “human-level” capability for almost all professional tasks.
“White-collar jobs such as lawyers, accountants, project managers, and marketing professionals will largely be fully automated by AI in 12-18 months,” he said.
This prediction comes amid growing anxiety among investors and workers regarding the impact of AI on employment. Concerns were recently fueled by a sell-off in technology stocks following the release of Anthropic’s latest AI agent, which demonstrated the ability to handle complex professional tasks.
Suleyman is not alone in sounding the alarm. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei previously suggested that AI has the potential to eliminate up to 50% of entry-level white-collar positions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also warned that AI could disrupt entire job categories.
Suleyman noted that automation is already visible in the software engineering sector, with many programmers now utilizing AI-assisted coding to generate a significant portion of their code.
Microsoft claims that over a quarter of the company’s code is now written with the help of AI. This shift is changing the role of engineers, who are increasingly focused on strategic tasks such as debugging, system architecture, and production implementation.
However, several studies indicate that the quality of AI output remains unreliable. In many cases, human verification is still required to ensure accuracy and security.
Despite being promoted as a tool for efficiency, recent research suggests mixed results. In some areas, the use of AI has not significantly increased productivity and may even slow down workflows due to the need for rechecking.
A practice known as “AI washing” is also emerging, where companies use narratives of AI transformation to justify layoffs and reduce costs.
While the adoption of AI is still relatively new, the sustainability of full automation remains uncertain. However, one thing is clear: the transformation of the job market due to AI is no longer a hypothetical scenario, but an ongoing process.
The question now is not whether AI will change the world of work, but how quickly and to what extent it will impact millions of professional workers worldwide.
(mkh/mkh)
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
The rapid advancement of AI is prompting a reevaluation of the future of work, with implications for both businesses and individuals. Microsoft’s CEO’s assessment underscores the accelerating pace of change in the technology landscape.
